It’s now almost certain that Jon Burrows will be the next leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, after the current deputy leader, Robbie Butler, confirmed that he will not be standing for the position.
Former senior police officer Jon Burrows has formally launched his campaign to become the next leader of the Ulster Unionist Party on Thursday. He will run alongside Diana Armstrong, who is hoping to become the first female deputy leader of the party.
The UUP have announced that their new leader will be selected at the end of January following a vote by party members. Jon Burrows and Robbie Butler are expected to put their names forward for the position. Current leader Mike Nesbitt is stepping down to let someone else lead the party into the 2027 Assembly election.
Mike Nesbitt is standing down as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. He made the decision ahead of the 2027 Assembly election, saying he cannot commit to full-time politics until the end of the next mandate.
Katherine Newman is the Ulster Unionist Party’s new councillor for the Bangor West DEA. The move follows Linzi McLaren’s decision to resign from the council and from the UUP.
Linzi McLaren has quit the Ulster Unionist Party, saying she has concerns about the lack of female representation in the party, and that the party has made “grave errors” with the Irish language. She is stepping down from the council to allow the UUP to co-opt a replacement.
The Alliance Party has seen their support drop to it’s lowest in five years, they’ve been overtaken by the Ulster Unionist Party and Traditional Unionist Voice remain ahead of them, leaving them in fifth place.
Tributes are being paid to former Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MP Martin Smyth, who has died at the age of 94. He represented South Belfast from 1982 until 2005, and was the grand master of the Orange Lodge between 1972 and 1998, during most of the Troubles.
Retired Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) superintendent Jon Burrows has been co-opted to replace Colin Crawford as the Ulster Unionist Party’s MLA in North Antrim, after he resigned less than a year after being appointed.